' ' Cinema Romantico: What Was Michael Shannon Drinking/Listening To on Oscar Night?

Monday, March 12, 2018

What Was Michael Shannon Drinking/Listening To on Oscar Night?

When “The Shape of Water” won the Best Picture Oscar a couple weeks ago, director Guillermo del Toro ascended the stage along with other principal members of his production, including stars Sally Hawkins and Richard Jenkins. Michael Shannon, who played the film’s chief heavy, was not present, unsurprisingly considering he, unlike Hawkins and Jenkins, was not nominated for an acting award. And so it was, or so it seemed, until post-Oscars a picture popped up on social media.


If my first reaction was to gasp, my second reaction was to wonder about Mr. Shannon’s reaction to this moment going viral. Not because the actor is not willing to engage with social media virality, because he has proven time and again that he is, but that a seeming private moment had become very much public. This isn’t Bill Murray deliberately inserting himself into a moment to further his anything goes brand; this is Michael Shannon’s personal chill time. But then I figured, Michael Shannon probably doesn’t care. Michael Shannon has probably already moved on. Michael Shannon probably forgot any of this even happened until one of his friends mentioned that he saw a friend of friend retweet the original tweet. And so having determined all that, we can then get down to the real nitty-gritty.

If Michael Shannon was drinking beer and listening to the juke while watching the movie in which he starred win Best Picture, what beer was he drinking and what song he was listening to? We have a few prospective combinations.

Spaten Optimator / Castles Made of Sand, Jimi Hendrix. Like one München Doppelbock can so easily become two, or three, or even four or five München Doppelbocks, quickly transforming a night of joy into a morning of bleary regret, so too does an Academy Award often work to merely remind us that these castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually. Verdict: Unlikely

Anti-Hero / Art of Almost, Wilco. I have it on good authority that Michael Shannon once wore a ratty Wilco t-shirt, so hey, if, as Chris Jones says, the acting titan is already espousing Chicago values just by sitting there, why not take it step further with a pristine local brew and some Jeff Tweedy? And while I initially wondered if Shannon might be an old school Wilco guy, I ultimately decided that he would be an all-Wilco Wilco guy, reminding us that inherent values can still sometimes be modified. Verdict: Too Fanciful

High Life / Act Naturally, The Beatles. Michael Shannon has a sense of humor. So maybe he celebrated his picture’s win not with champagne but the Champagne of Beers and Ringo jestingly speculating about winning an Oscar. Verdict: Conceivable, But Still Dubious

Rolling Rock / Achin’ to Be, The Replacements. Michael Shannon hasn’t needed a new beer since the mid-90s, and there hasn’t been a good band since The Replacements. Verdict: Very Possible

Sam Adams / Shakin’, Eddie Money. Look, if you think Michael Shannon didn’t just roll in there, ask what the special was, get told it was $4 Sam Adams, order one and toss it back while some drunk imbecile played Eddie Money, you’re probably overthinking this whole thing. Verdict: Highly Probable

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